I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.

March 15, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 31, 43, 143
Exodus 10:21-11:8
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Mark 10:46-52

II. Selections
Psalm 31:18
Let the lying lips be stilled
that speak insolently against the righteous
with pride and contempt.

Exodus 10:21
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt."

2 Corinthians 4:16
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

Mark 10:49
Jesus stood still and said, "Call [ Bartimaeus] here." And [ members of the crowd] called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."

III. Meditation: Take heart, get up

Always the righteous must deal with lying lips;
insolent people who speak with pride and contempt.
Bartimaeus was filled with darkness that could be felt,
but he called out to Jesus over the crowd that shushed him.

Jesus heard and called for him, and the blind man took heart.
Like Bartimaeus, we must not lose heart even if our outer
nature is wasting away. Help us to heed Christ's call,
that day by day you may renew our inner nature.

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